


Pretty Little Teacher's Pet

by myfairwendybird



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: Because I was annoyed all Alison's students are assholes, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 08:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10553552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myfairwendybird/pseuds/myfairwendybird
Summary: Ms. DiLaurentis' life as a teacher at Rosewood High wasn't made easy by the students or the teachers, more than a few people insisting on reminding her of who she used to be. But not everyone thinks it's cool to taunt Rosewood's most infamous lady. Set after the five year gap when the liars return. Features Emison and Alison friendships with the other liars and an OC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Hey guys! This is my first story for this fandom though it won't be my only one. I don't know how well OC's are received over here but I just got the idea to write one while doing a rewatch. I just hate that scene where all Ali's students dress up in A hoodie's and I find it really hard to believe that not one would've stood up for her. Incase you're wondering/concerned though I WILL NOT be shipping Alison with a student at any point in this story, their relationship is strictly platonic. There will be Emison throughout the fic though.
> 
> If you have any thoughts / feedback / input you'd like to share with me or requests / prompts for other stories please do not be afraid to hit me up! I live for reviews and will likely only continue this story if it garners interest.

It’d been a heavy day, Alison hadn’t seen her once best friends in years and she’d had to stand in front of them and ask them to help her get her sister, their tormentor for years, freed. It wasn’t an easy conversation, she didn’t expect it to be but now she was mentally exhausted and she still had a stack of papers to grade. Walking into the Brew she stood in line hoping her third coffee for the day would keep her awake long enough to get through at least half these essay’s when she spotted Emily nursing her own cup at one of the small tables by the wall. Locking eyes as the brunette looked up, the teacher abandoned the line as she walked over to her old friend.

Emily was looking at her with wide almost panicked eyes. _What did she want now?_ They’d barely spoken since she left Rosewood, though not for Alison’s lack of trying, but they could hardly still call themselves friends after 5 years. 

_“Hi.”_   Alison greeted after a moments hesitation, her voice slightly unsure, nothing like the over confident blonde bombshell she was in her youth. Now she stood looking as if she wasn’t quite sure if she belonged, picking at her cuticles anxiously. _Was it her making the blonde nervous?_ The swimmer wondered. _How the tables have turned._

“Hey.” Emily replied with a small smile. “How’ve you been?” Alison asked, a slightly hopeful lilt taking hold in her voice when Emily didn’t immediately walk away or reject her. Not that she would have reason to be so abrupt, the blonde mused, they hadn’t parted on bad terms exactly, but there must’ve been a reason Emily never returned her calls. 

“Great.” The brunette lied, plastering on the same fake smile that didn’t meet her eyes she’d been giving everyone that asked. “Yeah, I uh, I’m finishing up school and I’m working in a lab and it’s, yeah it’s great.” She tried, knowing she was a lot less convincing than she had been in the past. Alison gave her a look of concern that made it clear she wasn’t fooled, but she gave a slight smile anyway, not wanting to press the issue when Emily so clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “That’s great, as long as you’re happy.” She replied carefully, taking a seat across from the brunette. 

Emily’s heart fluttered at the thought that Alison still cared about her happiness. It didn’t feel like that long ago that Emily was sure the blonde would be her happiness. But everything was just so complicated and the swimmer could never be certain the once queen bee had real feelings for her rather than just a desperate need to keep her hanging on. With the way the blonde’s concerned eyes were looking at her now though, Emily could almost let herself believe her care was genuine, that she felt the same. _God, how she wanted to tell her everything_. Alison always had that effect on her, with her big understanding blue eyes Emily just wanted to drown in. She never failed to make the brunette want to tell her all her secrets, to crawl into arms and let the blonde comfort her like no one else could. She wanted to tell her about school, about her dad, about the fact that she was so broke she was about to sell her eggs, but she just.. _couldn’t_. She knew the moment she said it all out loud she wouldn’t be able to stop crying and it wasn’t Alison’s job to put her back together —- especially after she’d spent 5 years ignoring her first love. 

Clearing her throat, Emily tried to shake her thoughts and divert the attention off herself “What about you, have you—“

_“Ms. D, catch!”_ an amused voice interrupts, and Emily finds herself somewhat relieved for it as she watches Alison catch a shinny red apple easily, a chuckle leaving her lips and a fond smile Emily had never seen before finds her features as she turns her attention to their teenage waitress. Emily looks between them suspiciously at first, a familiar jealousy taking root in the pit of her stomach as it always did whenever she saw Alison smile at someone that wasn’t her. 

“You know this isn’t gonna help help your reputation any.” Alison warns in amusement. “Eh, they’re gonna talk either way.” The young redhead shrugged. “I’ve decided to embrace the title.” She smiled, and Emily was taken aback by how beautiful the girl was. Her wavy auburn hair tied up in a neat ponytail, and she had huge green eyes and the brunette decided ‘doe eyed’ had never fit someone more. Her smile was large and bright, her lips plump and pale pink. Freckles scattered her face gently and as she studied her face, Emily realised she didn’t seem to be wearing any makeup. _Not that she’d need it_ , the brunette thought.

She wasn’t anything like what she thought of as Alison’s type. _She_ was Alison’s type. With the whole apple exchange and the girl’s obvious youth, Emily assumed she was a student, but they were awfully friendly for just a teacher and a student, weren’t they? And it’s not as if the brunette hadn’t seen a teacher-student relationship up close before, it wasn’t as if it’d be totally out of the norm. But she was a girl, did Alison even like other girls? _God, STOP!_ Emily screamed internally, why did she even care?

She’d missed the rest of their conversation, so lost in her own rambling thoughts, but perked up when she heard her name. “This is Emily, Emily this is Ellie one of my students.” Alison introduced, seeming noticeably more relaxed since the younger girl had arrived. 

“Oh yeah, we met yesterday! Well kinda, I took your drink orders at the Radley  — wait, Emily as in Emily Fields? Like the name on all the swimming trophies at school?” She questioned, barely taking a breath between thoughts. She seemed like a reasonably bubbly kind of girl, someone she thought might’ve annoyed the old Alison. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.” Emily replied with a slightly bashful smile, avoiding looking at the blonde, feeling a little guilty that she now knew of the reunion she wasn’t invited to. Thanks, kid. 

“Cool! I think you were probably the best swimmer Rosewood ever had, the teams kinda sucked since I’ve been there. My brother still swears all the success was totally his doing, but it’s not like it’s his name on the trophies, right?” She joked, trying to pull Emily into conversation but when all she got back was a slight chuckle, Ellie took the hint and decided it was time to get back to work. “Right well, I’ll go get you your usual and how bout you, babe, you want a refill on that?” Emily shook her head no, taken aback a little by the overly friendly term the teen addressed her with and Alison uttered a soft thank you before the redhead disappeared off behind the counter. 

“Are all your students that..friendly?” Emily asked when she’d left, deciding friendly was probably a better word than intense considering Alison obviously had a soft spot for her. “Uh, no.” Alison laughed, god how she’d missed that laugh, shaking her head she looked over at the young waitress before shifting her attention back to Em. “No, Ellie is definitely one of a kind.” She replied, with an obvious affection in her voice that made the brunette stiffen in her seat. That’s what Ali used to say about them. Her, Spencer, Hanna and Aria. _‘All one of a kind and all mine.’_

Her jealousy increasing ten fold without reason, Emily almost forgot Alison was in front of her until she spoke again. “She’s kinda like my guard dog around school.” She confessed, an amused smirk pulling at her lips. “You need a guard dog at work?” Emily replied, her own protective instincts kicking in at the thought and overpowering the slight sting she felt knowing someone else was filling the role that once had Ali affectionately nicknaming her _‘killer’._

“No.” She replied swiftly, glaring peers and teenage pranks were nothing she couldn’t handle. Sometimes she even found them funny, though not quite as funny as any idiot who mistakenly thought themselves in her league. “But Rosewood High hasn’t changed that much in five years and a lot of our ‘friends’ have younger siblings that think they know all about me. El seems to get a kick out of putting them in their place.” She smirked. 

Emily nodded quietly — _did that mean this Ellie was the new Ali?_ Rosewood’s current queen bee protecting her predecessor? That might explain why Alison liked her so much then at least. Taking in what Alison had said, the brunette thought back to the girl’s words before she’d left. “Wait, did she say she had a brother in our year?” 

“Michael O’Hara” Alison nodded and Emily’s eyes widened slightly. _“Didn’t you used to date him?!”_ The brunette asked, suddenly suspicious Alison may have hand picked this girl to take her place years ago. 

Alison nearly choked at the accusation. _“Hardly.”_ She replied, leaving no room for doubt. “We used to hang out sometimes and he was into me before the whole _A_ thing but we were never together.” The blonde assured and Emily felt slightly more at ease for it, though that wasn’t what Michael had been telling everyone for years. Whenever they’d had mixed swim meets after Alison’s and had to hang out with the guys on the team she would hear O’Hara talking about how Ali was his girlfriend and that whoever hurt her better hope the cops found them first. The thought of them together had always made Emily sick and knowing it was all talk made her feel just a little lighter. 

Returning with Alison’s coffee in what looked to be a hurry, though her smile was still glued to her face, Ellie placed it down on the table before taking off her apron. “My shift is up, did you need anything else before I head over to the Radley?” She asked to which both women shook their heads no. “Alright cool, I’ll see you tomorrow Ms. D. See you around Emily!” She called over her shoulder as she ran out. 

_“Be safe!”_ Alison called out after her, to which she received an amused grin as Ellie waved her off. Emily was looking at her curiously as she turned back and she felt the need to explain. “She rides this awful hand me down bike and the chains all rusted, I’m terrified it’s gonna snap while she’s on it and send her flying.” Her concern was almost motherly and nurturing in a way that eased the brunette’s fears about what the girl meant to Alison. It also made her wonder what the blonde would look like with a few kids running around her feet.

Feeling a little awkward when again, Emily didn’t respond, Alison decided it was probably time to leave. “Well I should probably go, I have like a mountain of papers to grade by next week.” She announced, picking up her coffee and moving to stand. “This was fun though. We should catch up again sometime soon. If you want to I mean — _you don’t have to, I’m not trying to — I just_...if you wanna talk, you know where to find me.” Alison offered, cutting off her own nervous babbling with a slight smile before she turned around and headed out the door. 

Emily wasn’t sure exactly how long she’d be staying in Rosewood after the whole Charlotte thing was sorted out, but she suddenly wasn’t in any hurry to head off. 

 


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: A huge thanks to those who have left kudos on this story so far! Please feel free to let me know if you’d like to see any particular character interactions, if I’m skipping over your favourites let me know, if you want more Hanna or Aria etc let me know, I’ll work your wishes into future chapters. 
> 
> At the moment how I’ve elected to do it is to kind of fill in the blanks between and around what actually took place on the show and skipping over rather than repeating canon scenes. There will obviously be some things I change to make this story work but it will mostly align with canon THOUGH if you guys would like to see me make major changes to canon - for example things like having Alison not marry Elliot etc LET ME KNOW and I’ll she what I can do for you ;)

“Try not to worry. We’ve done everything we can for her and if you’re friends come through like you said they would, she should be out by tonight.” Dr. Rollins assured the blonde as he stood in front of her in her classroom. Alison gave a slight smile, appreciative of his support but she was still nervous. Years ago she wouldn’t have doubted that her friends would come through for her. That they’d support her regardless of what she asked of them. _But that was a long time ago and she didn’t have the influence over them she once did_. Especially after five years of living completely seperate lives at opposite ends of the country. They were practically brand new people, ones she didn’t know and despite the letters she sent them, the teacher couldn’t be sure they’d help her this time. 

Sensing her inner turmoil, Elliott placed a hand over hers, careful not to be too obvious about it in public and Alison gave a slightly more genuine smile. He’d been a great source of comfort to her these last few years and she loved him for it, or at least she wanted to. She’d even gotten to the point that she may have convinced herself what they had was real, _but it didn’t stop her from secretly wishing it was Emily’s hand over hers._

“Sup, McCreepy.” Ellie greeted, walking into class early as usual and ruining the moment. The Doctor was quick to draw back his hand before she could see, shooting her a glare before he could help himself. The redhead had been suspicious of him since he’d first come to town and stayed at the Radley a while and with her incessant nicknames and Alison’s clear fondness for her, the teenager never failed to irritate the con-man. Though he’d admit she hadn’t found a way to complicate his plans yet, he worried with that big mouth of hers she may start if she discovered he and Alison were seeing each other. It was one of the reasons he insisted on keeping the relationship _private._  

“Miss O’Hara.” He sighed, his annoyance poorly hidden as he made an excuse to leave. As he walked out the door, Alison looked back at the redhead with a raised eyebrow and El feigned innocence. _“Do you think it was something I said?”_

“You really should stop calling him that.” The teacher chastised weakly taking her seat behind the desk as Ellie took hers in the front row. “Hey, I’m just pointing out the obvious. Not my fault God gave him that face.” El replied with a devilish smile as she held up her hands in mock surrender and Alison rolled her eyes to hide her amusement. 

When she first met the girl last year Alison had thought with her freckled face, auburn hair and lax sense of fashion Eileen O’Hara would’ve been amongst the ranks of her many victims had they been in the same year. But it wasn’t long before the endearing young woman had changed Alison’s mind. The blonde found that she shared a lot of Alison’s better qualities. She reminded her a lot of Hanna too, never afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she thought was right, and the way she stood up for her in class and in the halls made her heart clench as she remembered how her sweet Emily used to defend her. 

_If they had been closer in age Alison knew she would’ve chosen the girl as one of her friends._

It was difficult sometimes to remember the boundaries of teacher and student when they would spend time together over lunch break occasionally or when the Brew was quiet enough that El had the opportunity to sit down and talk. Alison would often forget she had five years on the girl with the way she spoke. She reminded her of herself as a teenager the way she seemed to have mostly older friends and when she graduated, Alison hoped she could count herself among them without the awkwardness that sometimes lingered as a result of their current arrangement. 

It would get to her sometimes, that she’d gone from the most popular girl in town with everyone she knew competing for her attention to spending almost every night alone when she wasn’t at the hospital with Charlotte or meeting up with Elliott in secret and counting one of her students as the best friend she’d had in years. 

Her thoughts were interrupted however as the rest of her class started piling in. 

Alison loved teaching and for the most part was loved by her students. As one of the youngest and most passionate teachers Rosewood had she could explain old texts in a way that was relatable and for the most part kids enjoyed her class, but there was always a few that tried to rile her up. Usually younger siblings of those who’d been around when she was a student trying to see if they could get a rise out of her. If they could get the demonic queen bee they’d heard stories about to come out of hibernation. 

She’d been reading an excerpt from _The Scarlet Letter_ and holding the attention of about 90% of the class when she was interrupted by Luke, a try hard class clown that never let slip an opportunity to throw a dig her way. 

“You sure they didn’t write this about you, Ms. D?” He smirked as she read out a section about Hester Prynne being labeled the town whore. 

Before she had a chance to respond however, Ellie had turned in her chair to face him. “Look dude, I know it was probably a really hard three days trying to come up with that one but I really think, and this is my honest opinion,” She began with mock sincerity, her eyes hard as she stared him down. “That if you spent even half the time you spend trying to act like _Mr Super Cool_ on actually paying attention you just _might_ get accepted to somewhere other than the University of McDonald’s.” 

The class erupted in laughter, mocking him with taunts like _‘burn’_ and overdramatic _‘oo’s’_ and Luke seethed in his chair but remained silent as El turned around victoriously to catch Alison biting her lip to suppress a smirk. Her heart fluttered with pride at the sight and she looked up at the blonde teacher with a slightly bashful grin. 

The rest of the lesson went by undisturbed, all the kids running out the moment the bell sounded, save for Ellie who hung back to talk to Alison for a little while longer before she had to head off to her next class. 

“Hey, good luck today with your sister.” Ellie smiled gently and Alison had almost forgotten she’d told the girl about Charlotte’s hearing but thanked her anyway and shooed her off to her next class. _God, I need to find some friends my own age._ Alison thought to herself briefly as she packed up her bag. This was her last class for the day having gotten off early for the hearing and the blonde’s stomach was doing all sorts of acrobatics as she flipped between hopeful excitement and apprehension for what was to come.

After the decision had been made, the four girls said there goodbye’s to Alison as she ran off to collect her sister with a grateful smile. None of the liars were happy with the decision but Emily, Hanna and Spencer were at least somewhat pleased to see her so excited, nervous as they were for themselves. 

Deciding it time for a well earned drink, they all headed back to the Radley together to try and relax and have fun and forget about the psycho that was now free to roam the streets. “Hey Emily!” Ellie chirped as she came over to take their order. The other three all looked to their friend in confusion, noting that the waitress was clearly a few years younger and the fact that they’d only just gotten back into town, it seemed odd she appeared so familiar with the swimmer, smiling brightly as if they were friends. “Hey.” Emily greeted with a small smile, still not used to the overly friendly teen. “Guys, this is Ellie, she’s one of Alison’s students. We met yesterday at the Brew.” She explained and the others confusion morphed into surprise — _why was she so happy to see one of her teacher’s friends?_ Weird. 

“Yeah, Ms. D introduced us earlier, but it’s cool to see the rest of you are back in town helping her too. You’re Ashley’s daughter, right?” She asked turning her attention to Hanna. _Ms. D?_ They all seemed to be thinking the same thing as they traded glances. They knew Alison was a teacher now obviously, they’d gone to see her there in Ezra’s old classroom, but it was weird to think of her with actual students. _And students that apparently knew why they were in town?_ Though it wasn’t as if half the town didn’t know, they guessed. “Uh, yeah that’s me.” Hanna smiled back at the girl, she seemed nice enough, _if not a little forward_. “I recognised you from the pictures on her desk. You’re way prettier in person by the way.” El assured, to which she was met with a wide grin from Hanna and an eye roll from the other three at the table, there was no quicker way to win Hanna over.

“Thanks, babe.” The blonde chuckled. “Well this is Aria and Spencer.” She said introducing the only two on the table that had yet to get involved in the conversation. Spencer because she was busy trying to suss the girl out, suspicious of the fact that this student of Alison’s seemed to be far to interested in her teacher and apparently her teacher’s friends and that she seemed to know exactly why they were here. Which, on it’s own wouldn’t have been that strange but the way she’d worded it made it clear in Spencer’s mind at least that she knew Alison had sent for them and that they’d agreed to help get Charlotte released rather than insist she be kept in. Aria on the other hand was too anxious about the idea that Cece was now roaming the streets to pay much attention to the waitress. “Aria — you’re Ms. Montgomery’s daughter, right?” Lifting her head at the sound of her name, Aria’s brows furrowed a moment having not been following the conversation that closely up to that point. “Yeah, how’d you—“

“She’s my history teacher.” She answered before the brunette could even finish the question. “She mentions you and Mike every so often.” The redhead explained further before abruptly changing the subject to what she had really been wanting to ask. “So how’d it go today, did they let her out?” Ellie asked, nervous for Alison as she knew how much her sister meant to her and how hard she’d been working to get her out. No one answered at first, all just looking at each other in shock. _Who was this girl?_ She acted as if she knew them or was somehow entitled to that kind of information and Spencer had been just about to explain to her just how inappropriate such a question was when Hanna beat her to it.

“She’s out.” The blonde blurted, having decided the teen nosy but harmless. “Ali took her home.” She elaborated, wondering for a moment if she should’ve referred to her friend as Ms. DiLaurentis in front of her student. 

The girl before them beamed as if this was the best news she’d heard all week and their suspicion grew further. _Why was she so happy about Charlotte getting out?_ “That’s amazing, _Al-_ Ms. D must be so happy.” The redhead gushed, trying to cover her slip in almost using the blonde’s first name. Ali had made it clear she didn’t mind but that was when they were alone and she wasn’t sure the older woman would appreciate the familiarity of it being used with others when she was still her teacher. “She’ll finally have someone to keep her company in that big house and she won’t have to talk to McCreepy anymore.” 

_“McCreepy?”_ Spencer questioned, starting to wonder if perhaps there was more to the story than they knew. _Had they made a terrible mistake letting Charlotte out? Was she planning on starting the game again? Was this McCreepy helping her? Was Alison?_

“He’s a doctor at the _nu-_ hospital.” She explained, catching herself before she called it a nuthouse, not knowing if these girls were as sensitive about the word as Alison could be at times. “He takes care of Charlotte and so he and Ms. D talk on the regular but he’s _totally creepy_ , you can just tell.” She went on, sounding every bit the teenager she was. “Some people you can just see it in their face, you know?” 

When no one responded, the redheaded took her cue to ask for there order and then set off to see about getting their drinks. “What the hell was _that?!_ Why would you tell her about Charlotte?” Spencer admonished as soon as she was out of earshot. “Well it’s not like she wouldn’t have found out anyway, she and Ali obviously talk.” Hanna defended. 

“Don’t you think that’s weird?! She obviously knows a hell of a lot for just one of her students.” Spencer continued, her eyes bugging out of her head a little, growing paranoid as a new mystery presented itself. “Em?! What do you think, she said Ali introduced you yesterday, what happened and why didn’t you say anything??” The brunette asked, not quite ready to say she thought the redhead was part of some new and improved A team but definitely ready to explore that possibility. 

“Spence, calm down, she’s just some kid” Hanna tried, hoping their drinks would come soon. “They seemed close but it didn’t seem like anything important enough to tell you guys.” Emily shrugged, confused by Spencer’s reaction. Sure, the girl was weird but Emily’s concern lay more with whether or not they were sleeping together and she knew that wasn’t what Spencer was getting at. Rolling her eyes as Spencer continued to stare at her blankly, she figured her inquisitive friend wasn’t going to let the issue drop until she told her everything. 

“I was at the Brew yesterday when Alison walked in and came over to say hi, we talked for a minute or two and then out of nowhere this waitress I’d never seen before turns up and tosses Ali an apple-“ Emily started but was cut off by Hanna _“She tossed her an apple?”_

“Yeah. Alison laughed and it seemed like maybe it was an inside joke they had about some of the other kids calling her a teacher’s pet.” 

_“ We noticed.”_ Hanna interrupted again, obviously intent on conducting a running commentary. 

“ _Anyway_ , Ali introduced us, she asked me about my swimming trophies and said that her brother had mentioned me— “ 

“She has a brother? Who?” It was Spencer who interrupted this time, intent on analysing every bit of information she was handed. “Michael O’Hara, he was in our year and Captain of the boys swim team.” 

“ _O’Hara?_  wait, didn’t he used to have a major thing for Ali way back when?” Hanna asked, to which Emily nodded. “He used to tell everyone they were dating before she went missing but Ali laughed it off when I asked her and said they were never a thing, they just hung out a few times.” None of the girls seemed particularly convinced on that, especially now that she and his sister seemed so close. 

“Anything else?” Spencer proved, but quickly hushed Emily before she could answer as she saw Ellie returning with there drinks. 

“Here you go.” She smiled as she placed the last one down in front of Emily. “And I just wanna say, I think you guys are so great for doing what you did today. Ms. D is so lucky to have friends like you.” El gushed once more before moving to take care of her other tables.

Another pointed look from the lobbyist and Em spoke again. “I asked Ali if all her students were like that with her and she laughed and said Ellie was _one of a kind_.” She confessed, the blondes words clearly still a sore point for her though she could see their significance was lost on both Hanna and Aria. Spencer just looked like she was trying to solve a puzzle, trying to fit each piece of new information together to see the picture at the end.

“She said she’s kinda like her guard dog.” Em shrugged.

_“Guard dog?!”_ The three others questioned in unison. Spencer having perked up at what she viewed as a substantial clue coming to light while the other two seemed to wear mixed expressions of confusion and disgust, their minds thinking back to the old Ali. That was something their once formidable leader would’ve said. _Was this girl under her spell as they had been?_

“Apparently some of her students give Ali a hard time about everything that went down with A and when they do, red over there steps in to rein them in.” Emily explained, dejected as she remembered all the times she had been there to be the blonde’s protector. _Her white knight._

“So basically Ali has this girl going around doing her dirty work bullying teenagers into submission just like the old days.” Spencer scoffs. 

“I don’t think it’s like that.” Emily defended hesitantly. “From what I saw at the Brew, they seem to really care about each other. Ali even got all worried about her when she left because she thinks her bike is too old to be safe. I don’t think she’s using her.”

“I still think we should keep an eye on them both while we’re in town.” Spencer replied after a moment of consideration.

“Yeah well, good luck with that because I’m out of here on the first plane.” Aria replied, Hanna raising her glass in agreement. 

Smirking at their enthusiasm, Spencer couldn’t say she blamed them and after what Aria had said today and Hanna’s obvious desire to be _anywhere_ but Rosewood, she was happy her friends would be getting back to the lives they’ve built for themselves. “Well, I’m gonna be in town a while helping my mom with her campaign.” The lobbyist reminded almost ruefully, part of her wishing her escape would be as quick and easy and another glad she’d be around to solve this new mystery surrounding their old friend. 

“What about you, Em, are you gonna abandon me too?” She asked, her tone playful though she still received a mock glare from Hanna. 

The swimmer thought on it for a moment before deciding to follow her instincts from yesterday. “I guess I could hang around a while.” She conceded, much to her friend’s delight. Emily almost felt a little guilty knowing it wasn’t Spencer she was staying for, _at least not entirely_. She tried to convince herself it was to spend time with her mom rather than a certain blonde, but she knew better.

Forgetting about Charlotte and their suspiciously friendly waitress, the foursome lost themselves in fun the rest of the night, their laughter drowning out their worries. Happy to be back in each others company for a while, they spent the whole night talking and drinking until eventually crashing upstairs in Hanna’s suite.


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Thank you to all those who have read / left kudos / commented since I last posted.
> 
> Also: if you have any questions or feedback I'd love to hear your thoughts! That's gives me the inspiration to continue! you can also feel free to contact me on tumblr ( myfairwendybird.com ) if you wanna talk about this / have a prompt or etc you'd like me to write on / just wanna fangirl with me bc i desperately need more PLL friends!

Alison had left Charlotte alone as she'd been asked, despite her better instincts having decided her sister would come home when she was ready. But when she woke up and Cece was no where to be found, she called the girls in a panic unsure of what else to do. _Would things start up again now that she'd upset her? Would she go back to being A? Would she have to send her back to the hospital after less than a day?_

Her questions were soon answered when she heard the news. No, she wouldn't go back to torturing them, no she wouldn't go back to the hospital and no, they'd never get to be normal sisters. _Because she was dead._

That was it, five years of waiting, of spending every day at her side, of doing everything she could to help her get better and it was just over. _Just like that._ Alison could barely breathe when she heard the news, let alone answer the phone to her friends when they called. She just stayed in bed as silent tears made their way down her face, trying to process it all.

The others had agreed to let Emily go alone at first and the brunette had practically run to the Dilaurentis house once she'd heard. Having tried to call Ali a few times to warn her she was coming only to receive no answer, the former swimmer only grew more worried as she approached the house. She didn't even bother to ring the doorbell as she located the spare key in a potted plant and let herself in.

Running straight up to Ali's room, she found the blonde curled up on her side crying into pillow and her heart broke for the woman she loved. It was such a strange thing, seeing Alison cry. It wasn't the first time but the sight was still as tragic and disconcerting as ever and the brunette knew it didn't matter how many times she saw it, she'd never be desensitised to it, that she'd always want to do anything in her power to make the tears stop.

 _"_ _Ali.."_ she called quietly as she stepped into the room, not wanting to scare the blonde.

Turning around instantly at the sound of her mermaid's voice Alison sat up, her heartbroken eyes meeting Emily's and without having to say a word, the brunette was at her side in a second, enveloping her in strong arms. Her heart no longer feeling as heavy, she turned into Emily's embrace and took comfort in her presence, though it didn't stop her mind from racing.

_Was it her fault? Was she the reason Charlotte jumped? Was it something she'd said? She'd been doing so well why would she just end it all like that?_

_Why would she leave her alone?_

Emily rocked her gently in her arms and allowed the blonde to cry until she tired herself out. It had been almost an hour before her tears ran out and she spoke hesitantly, her voice hoarse. "She wasn't that bad, you know. Once you got to know her. What she did to you guys was awful, but she wasn't just some monster." She offered, her heartbreak audible as thought about all the laughs they'd shared over the past five years. She wasn't perfect by any means and she relied on Ali heavily, but ever so often on her good days she'd go back to something resembling the Cece Drake she'd once known. _Something resembling a real big sister._

Emily isn't sure she agrees, but she doesn't say anything to the contrary, opting to stay silent and simply hold the blonde tighter.

They stay that way a while before the brunette opened her mouth to speak, though she hadn't any idea what she was going to say, but she was saved by the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it, you just stay here." Em offered, detangling herself from her friend and heading downstairs. She assumed it'd be a cop or maybe Spencer coming check on her but when she opened the door she found herself greeting none other than Ellie O'Hara.

"Oh! Hey babe." Ellie smiled, though her usual bubbly demeanour was tainted with a sadness that made it clear she'd heard the news. "I was expecting someone blonder to answer." She chuckled nervously. The redhead had only been to the Dilaurentis house once before and she wasn't sure if coming now would be overstepping but when her mother had told her about Charlotte she couldn't help herself. The idea of Ali being alone in her big old house after losing her sister the day after getting her back broke her heart.

"Yeah, she's upstairs." Emily smiled weakly, having gained no fondness for the younger girl.

"Can I see her?" El asked hesitantly, wanting to be there for the blonde.

Biting back a flat 'no' if only to prevent from having to explain herself to Alison later if she found out, Emily forced a smile and tried to be polite. She didn't have a clue what their relationship was like or how many times this girl had shown up on Ali's doorstep or if she was welcome. _For all she knew the teenager could have her own coffee mug and a toothbrush in the Dilaurentis house_. But she didn't want to share the blonde right now and she certainly didn't want risk becoming the third wheel if the young girl ended up doing a better job of comforting the grieving teacher.

"She's um, not ready to see anybody yet." The brunette settled on, hoping she sounded at least half way friendly.

Ellie had been about to insist, well aware that the brunette didn't seem to like her and was probably keeping her out for her own sake rather than Ali's, but on the off chance she was telling the truth, she wasn't about to intrude. "yeah, of course. _Well ah_ , give her my best and tell her I'll come beck when she's feeling up to it." The girl smiled, turning to leave when Emily nodded in response.

The brunette closed the door and sighed at her own actions. _Who was she to decide who Ali could see? Why was she so against this girl anyway? She seemed like she was good to Alison, she should be thankful the blonde had someone like that shouldn't she? It's not like they were even together, hell she couldn't even decide for sure that was still what she wanted and yet here she was acting like a jealous girlfriend._

"Get it together, Fields." She muttered to herself under her breath.

"Who was it?" Alison asked as she heard Emily's footsteps entering her room once more.

"Ellie. I told her you weren't ready to see anyone yet." Emily replied, keeping her tone light, casual, making sure not to give away any ill feelings she might harbour toward the redhead.

Ali instantly wished she'd have gone to the door herself. She knew Emily only had her best interest at heart, that she was just being her usual over-protective self and that alone made her heart feel a little warmer. But she would've liked to see her favourite student at a time like this, the girl always knew just what to say. Never failing to make her feel even just _a little_ better.

"If she comes back you can let her in." Ali replied hesitantly, not wanting to seem ungrateful for Emily's care or her presence.

"I didn't think you'd be up for seeing students right now." The brunette justified.

 _"_ _She's a friend."_ The teacher replied quietly as her eyes fell closed, the emotions of the day finally becoming to much as she fell asleep.

The swimmer stayed for a few hours while the blonde slept, keeping an eye on her and making sure she wasn't having any nightmares as she texted the others to entertain herself. It was when Hanna asked 'how long she'd been sitting there watching her sleep' that Emily started to become self conscious of her presence there. _What kind of message was she sending? What kind of message did she want to send? Would Ali think she was there because she wanted to revisit what she had? What if she wasn't even single anymore? Would staying with her like this make the blonde think she was still some desperate lost puppy?_

Eventually overthinking the situation until she couldn't bring herself to stay any longer, she reluctantly leant down to place a kiss on Ali's forehead as she slept before quietly slipping back out the front door and heading back to her own place, deciding to go over again when the others could go with her.

Waking up alone wasn't entirely surprising for the blonde, she was used to it by now but it still hurt. It felt like Emily had just been waiting for her to fall asleep so she could escape. She had thought they were finally starting to get back on track but apparently she was wrong. Alison had to wonder why she'd even bothered to come if she didn't want to be there, _was it just some sort of misplaced sense of obligation?_

She tried calling Elliot a few times but she just got the voicemail. He probably had some sort of paperwork to get through, or maybe he was busy working with the police she reasoned. But in truth, her calls often went unanswered by him, she'd hoped in light of the days events he'd make more of an effort but apparently work still came first.

Alison wasn't alone long though before the doorbell rang again, at first she'd assumed Elliot was finally done with whatever he was doing and had come to stay with her the night, though part of her hoped it would be Emily or one of the others.

A genuine smile finding her features as she opened the door to find Ellie struggling to carry enough food to feed an army.

"Hey!" She greeted, slightly out of breath and Alison was glad she seemed just as lively as ever. She didn't think she could've taken it if she came with the same customary solemn expression and sympathetic apologies she'd gotten from the neighbours when her mother had died.

"I know Emily said you weren't up for visitors, but my mom wanted to make sure you were eating." El offered, trying to explain all the containers she was carrying. Reaching out to take a few before they all fell to the ground, Alison lead her toward the kitchen with an affectionate chuckle. She was trying to keep herself composed but she was more touched by the gesture than she could say. There were so many people in this town that hated her, parents in particular and when she'd first become a teacher it was one of the things she worried about most, that they were all going to come up with some sort of petition to keep her away from their children.

 _Mrs O'Hara_ on the other hand, much like her daughter, had stood up for Alison more than once in the past and it seemed her kindness had only grown.

"So," Ellie sighed, putting everything down on the bench. "You got soup, you got some casserole, a lasagna and some muffins because chocolate makes everything better." She laughed.

"Tell your mom I said thank you, really, this is so kind she didn't have to go out of her way-"

 _"_ _She wanted me to deliver one more thing."_ Ellie interrupted before wrapping her arms around the blonde and pulling her into a tight hug. She was shocked at first, both by the hug and the fact that it was apparently also sent by Hannah O'Hara, but Alison was quick to return the embrace, feeling comforted in a different way than she had with Emily earlier.

Something about Ellie and her mother too really, made her nostalgic for something she'd never had. _A real family_. Like the kind she'd wanted to build with Charlotte.

"This ones from me." El smirked as they eventually broke apart, holding up a box of cookies from the Brew. "I had Sabrina make them for you on the down low incase you wanted to space out for a while."

Alison was stunned by the offer and gave a disbelieving chuckle as she shook her head at the girl. _"_ Are you _really_ offering your teacher drugs right now?"

" _Oh no, of course not!_ Who would do a thing like that?" She asked incredulously, all the while nodding her head _'yes_ ' enthusiastically.

Alison rolls her eyes at the teen but can't stop herself from laughing, feeling lighter than she had since she first heard the news. It was almost tempting, she'd never had pot in any form before but the idea of escaping reality for a while had undeniable appeal. She knew even as she accepted the offering though that she'd never eat one, too afraid of the horrors her mind my conjure on drugs. _It left her terrified enough when she was sober._

They spend a few hours together just talking and El manages to pull a couple laughs out of her, constantly trying to keep the mood light. She does her best not to ask too many questions, determined to take the blonde's mind off the sadness of the day.

"You should've seen trailer park barbie in class today, _my god_. She's like Cher from Clueless but with half the brain and none of the style." Ellie groaned, launching into story after story about her classmates, her brother's, anything she could think of that might get a smile out of the blonde.

 _'_ _Trailer park barbie'_ was the name she'd given Toni Prescott the first day Alison had taught their class. Toni thought she was the new Alison, the new Rosewood High _'It Girl'_ and this _delusion_ is what had given her the confidence to try and give Ali a hard time when she first started teaching, talking back at every chance and 'whispering' snide comments to her friends that everyone in the room could hear. Ali made no attempt to stop her, knowing it would only make things worse, but as it turned out she didn't have to, El did it for her. Declaring her a try hard wannabe in front of the entire class and making a fool of her. It took everything Alison had to bite back her laugh. The teacher didn't think she'd ever heard Ellie refer to her as anything other than trailer park barbie since, a fact that left her half amused and half worried.

It was one of the things about Eileen that reminded her a lot of her younger days and she'd ended up making a lot of enemies for herself.

She'd been about to get into a spiel, _not for the first time_ , about how branding people with those kinda nicknames could come back to bite you in the ass when the doorbell rang for the third time.

"I'll get it!" Ellie announced, running off to greet whoever it may be, leaving Ali with an amused smirk on her face thinking about how quickly the teen had made herself at home.

Swinging the door open to reveal the four girls she'd met at the Radley, Ellie put on her best charming smile and hoped she could get them to come around, not entirely sure why they all seemed to be so put out by her presence. _Usually if someone didn't like her it was because she'd made her dislike for them clear before hand._

"Hey, guys! It's good to see you all again, come on in, she's over on the couch." She greeted, opening the door a little more in invitation. _"Ali, it's your friends!"_ She called over her shoulder, sure she'd be all too happy to see them.

For a moment they all just stood at the door staring at her. _It was like she lived there_. Watching her inviting them in as if this were her own house, Emily instantly regretted leaving even for a second, jealous burning through her stomach.

They all snapped out of their stupor when they heard Ali call out to them that she was in the living room, shuffling in quickly, trading quizzical and suspicious glares. Alison smiled weakly as she saw the girls come in, her mood significantly worse once she and El are no longer alone. She knew she should be glad to see them, and she was, _in part_. But she also knew they hated charlotte and were likely overjoyed by news of her death and she just couldn't handle their hatred for her sister while she was trying to mourn her.

They came over one at a time and gave her a hug, expressed their sympathies and what not then sat down, Spencer next to her and the other three on the other couch facing them. Ellie went back to sitting on the coffee table as she had been when she and Ali were talking before. Emily tried not to visualise pushing her off the damn thing to no avail. _How was Alison not annoyed? It was a table not a chair, god._

No one said much for a while, the lairs all feeling awkward around Ellie and Alison not in much of a talking mood. Picking up on the fact that she was the reason for a lot of the weirdness in the room, El eventually decided to leave with the promise of returning after school the next day. Ali walked her to the door, pulling the girl into a hug that lasted long enough for Spencer and Aria to raise an eyebrow at each other before whispering a heartfelt thank you and pressing a kiss against her cheek before saying goodbye.

"So you guys are pretty close then, huh?" Aria asks as Ali re-enters the room, though the question is more of a statement.

"She cares about me a lot and she doesn't look at me like I'm about to sprout horns. _Friends like that aren't easy to find_." The blonde replies with a tired shrug.

 _"_ _You have us."_ Spencer reminds with her usual conviction.

"For today maybe." She smiles sadly, not giving anyone a chance to counter before she asks- "does anyone want any coffee?"

"Sure…" The overachiever answers carefully, studying her blonde friend. "Did you—- did you need any help with the funeral arrangements?" She asks after a beat. Spencer had never been the best at talking about her feelings, especially with Alison but she wanted to assure the teacher she cared and the best way to do that as far as the Hasting's was cencerned was to help get things done.

The blonde thinks about it for a moment, completely surprised by the offer and for a moment she gets a little choked up. She'd gotten so used to having to do this kind thing on her own she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have help.

'..that would — _thank you_." Alison replies quietly, surprised once more when Spencer stands and gives her a small smile and a rare hug.

"You make coffee, I'll make some calls."


End file.
